


Kiss the Canvas

by giraffex



Category: Oz (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-12-09
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2017-10-27 03:01:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/290930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giraffex/pseuds/giraffex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miguel Alvarez has been given a second chance to get on the straight and narrow. In his efforts to do just that, he meets Ryan O'Reily.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Round 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They belong to HBO and Tom Fontana. All accounts below are fictional.

"You're lucky, Mr. Alvarez, that I see some potential in you. Most people in your situation right now would be getting sentenced to a much steeper penalty. However, I believe your crime was out of character for you. Therefore I am sentencing you to a 3 years probation, 200 hours community service, and a $10,000 fine to pay for damages done to the victim. Consider this a second chance to get your life together. The alternative is a lot worse. Court adjourned."

"Thank you Your Honor. I appreciate the second chance. You won't be let down, I promise."

The judge gave him a pointed look. "I better not see you back here, Alvarez."  
"You won't, sir. Believe me, you won't."

Miguel left the courtroom shortly there after and let out the breath he'd been holding the whole time he was in the presence of the judge. The fact that he got absolutely no jail time for his assault charge not only stunned him, but his lawyers too. He silently thanked the big guy upstairs for giving him a chance to redeem himself. The judge hadn't been so lenient on Maritza though. Not that Miguel cared too much about that bitch now anyway. The whole trial she had tried to throw him under the bus, make herself seem like an innocent party. Thankfully the judge saw through her bullshit and sentenced her to a year in rehab. Finding drugs in your system while pregnant was what did her in. Just thinking about her being pregnant enraged Miguel that much more. A little after getting arrested, Maritza fessed up to fucking a few of Miguel's friends; she wasn't even sure who the father of her unborn child was, but told Miguel it more than likely wasn't his. He'd never felt more hatred for a person than he did her.

Now that the trial was over, a whole new challenge awaited the Latino. Like how he was gonna pay off this mountain of debt he was now sitting on top of. The money owed to the victim, plus the cost of lawyers...there was no way a simple 9-5 was going to cut it. And selling drugs was out of the question now; with 3 years probation, he had to be on the best fucking behavior of his life. Time to get on the straight and narrow, time to stop fucking around. Time to grow up and be a man for once.

After checking in with his probation officer and stopping by his mother's to tell her the good news, he bypassed his apartment, not ready to go home and start figuring out how he was going to deal with his finances. His walking brought him to a gym, more specifically, a boxing gym, that had just opened up earlier that month. The building was in a rough part of town, but didn't look too bad considering. A big 'Help Wanted' sign caught Miguel's attention. He boxed. He needed the money. Maybe this could be the answer to his problems. Making his way into the building, he noticed a blond man sparring in the middle of the ring with a skinny latino kid, probably no older than 18. He watched silently for a moment, noticing the blond man bob and weave around the ring, shouting out directions at the kid. Dude definitely knew his stuff.

"Looking into boxing lessons?"

Miguel broke his gaze away from the ring turning toward the person who asked the question. It was a man, probably in his 30’s, taller than Miguel, but thinner, almost lanky. He had dark hair and green eyes and looked strikingly similar to the man in the ring. Miguel stood there staring for a beat before he finally processed the question.

“Uh, no…I saw the sign in the window, thought I’d come in, see if you still had a position available.”

“You have any experience in the ring?”

“I used to box. Won a few local competitions, nothing major," Miguel shrugged, feeling oddly nervous around the man.

The other man sized him up, his eyes raking across Miguel longer than they probably should have. He caught eyes with the Latino, letting a small smile slip. "Head back this way. You can fill out the application and when my brother's done sparring, we can all talk it over."

Miguel nodded, following the man to the back of the gym into a small office. They took a seat, the man extending his hand for Miguel to shake.

"Ryan O'Reily, by the way."

"Miguel Alvarez."

"Go ahead and fill these out," Ryan said as he handed Miguel a stack of forms. "If you have any questions, just lemme know."

Miguel nodded, looking down at the paperwork. He felt confident in the possibility of landing this job, but when he came to the question about being convicted of a felony, he hesitated. He figured honest was the best policy so he spoke up.

"I uh, I've recently been convicted...but I don't have to serve any time," Miguel started, watching Ryan's face for any negative reaction.

Ryan just shrugged, not seeming too bothered by it.

"Cyril and I have both had our own run ins with the law. Don't worry about. All that matters is your skill," Ryan said. "You said you don't have to serve time...how recently were you convicted?"

Miguel blushed a bit. "A couple hours ago."

Ryan let out a laugh, quirking an eyebrow at the Latino. "You ain't wasting no time trying to get your shit together, huh?"

Miguel smiled, feeling relieved the other man was so casual about it. He finished filling out the paperwork, the two of them making small talk to become better acquainted. A knock on the door cut them off, the blond from the ring peeking in.

"Cyril, I want you to meet Miguel Alvarez. He's looking for a position as an instructor here and I think he'd fit in great here."

Cyril came and shook Miguel's hand, grabbing the forms and skimming through them. He nodded his head enthusiastically, catching eyes with Miguel.

"I've heard about you, you're the dude that beat Victor Diaz in the New York Golden Gloves tournament," Cyril said with an excited smile. "Big upset right there."

Ryan turned his gaze back to Miguel. "Why didn't you mention that before?"

Miguel shrugged. He wasn't one to brag about his accomplishments, especially since he started fucking up shortly after that win. Any chance at going pro or furthering his boxing career went out the window.

Cyril put the papers down and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome to the team man."

Miguel smiled, thanking his lucky stars that he decided to stop in.

They spent the next hour discussing pay, what hours he'd work, his method of training. At some point, conversation turned casual between the three and at some point after that, Cyril made his exit, heading out to put equipment away. That left Miguel and Ryan, shooting the breeze in the back office.

"It's getting late man, I should probably head out," Miguel said after glancing at the time. He stood up, putting his coat on before heading for the door. "See you Saturday."

Just as Miguel turned to leave, Ryan spoke up. "Let me give you a ride home."

Miguel raised an eyebrow in question.” I only live in Brooklyn, its no big deal."

"Its freezing outside and dark," Ryan offered. "Just let me take you home. Or we could go get a bite to eat?"

Miguel thought it over for a bit before nodding.

"Sure, I could eat. Let's go. "


	2. Round 2

The two men made their way to a small pizza place a few blocks from the gym. Ryan couldn't deny the attraction he felt toward the other man but he knew better than to act on anything. Miguel had mentioned an ex-girlfriend in earlier conversation, giving Ryan enough insight to know that he was probably barking up the wrong tree. He was bisexual himself, but the Latino gave off so much machismo that the Irishman could almost guarantee he was completely straight.

They sat in a small booth near the back, away from the door and constant influx of people coming into the restaurant. Ryan pulled his jacket off, rolling his sleeves up a bit before looking down at the menu.

"I've never been here before," Miguel stated staring down at his own menu. "What's good here?"

"The calzones are awesome, Cyril's a big fan of the pasta," he glanced up at Miguel. "I'm in the mood for pizza and a salad though, so that's what I'm getting."

Miguel smiled a bit before closing his menu.

"I'll take your word and try a calzone. If it sucks, you owe me."

Ryan laughed, rolling his eyes at the other man. They ordered their food and drinks, knowing it'd be a while with how busy it was. Ryan reached out to grab a napkin from the dispenser when Miguel spoke up.

"Shannon...that you're old lady?"

The question threw him a bit. He'd almost forgotten about the tattoo of his ex's name on his arm, much like Shannon herself. It had been a few years since anyone in his life had even mentioned the bitch.

"Ex-wife. Worse 3 years of my life and definitely the worse tattoo," it was said with a laugh to show the other man that the subject wasn't a sensitive one. Miguel seemed to relax a bit by the reaction, leaning forward on the table.

"I could say the same about my ex girl. Got pregnant by one of my homies and tried to pin it on me. "

Ryan winced that. "Damn...I'm sorry man."

"Doesn't bother me any," he said with a shrug. He pulled his sleeve up a bit, pointing to an unfinished tattoo on his bicep. "See this heart? Was gonna do the same thing and put Maritza in it. Glad I dodged that bullet."

Ryan smiled. The two fell into more casual conversation, getting to know one another on a more personal level. Their food eventually came, shutting them up for a bit while they ate. Ryan looked up from his slice of pizza to see Miguel's reaction to his calzone.  
The Latino had a look of pure satisfaction as he continued to devour the food.

"This is fucking delicious, man," he said finishing a bite. "I'm gonna be coming here all the time now for one of these."

"Well since I introduced you to some good food, I think it's only fair you return the favor one of these days," Ryan said. "Next time we go out, you pick. Wow me."

Miguel stayed quiet for a bit, but nodded his head with a smirk on his face. Something about Ryan made him nervous, but not necessarily in a bad way. He couldn't quite place why, but he'd felt like the Irishman had been flirting with him since they'd first met. Whenever some maricon made a pass at Miguel, it disgusted him, hell, when a straight man jokingly said anything weird to him, it made him feel uneasy. But there was something in Ryan that made him feel differently. He shook the thoughts from his mind, knowing he was thinking too deeply into it. The other man had an ex-wife for fuck's sake.

"Of course, man." he said with a shy smile.

Ryan smiled back, looking back at his plate to finish his food. The conversation died down a bit while they finished eating, a comfortable silence falling between them. Miguel reached for his wallet when he had finished his meal, attempting to pull some money out for his meal when Ryan stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Miguel asked, a little weary.

"I invited you, I'll take care of it," Ryan said, pulling out his own wallet. He left a twenty on the table before standing up and pulling his jacket on. "Ready?"

Miguel nodded, grabbing his coat as well and followed the Irishman out of the busy restraurant. They made the short trek to Miguel's side of town, quiet aside from their footsteps. They reached a slightly run down apartment, Miguel stopping awkwardly in front of it.

"This is my place, so I better get going..."

Ryan smiled, sensing the other man getting weird. He extended his hand for Miguel to shake.

"Glad you came in tonight, man. I'll see you Saturday."

"Yeah, see ya."

The two parted ways, Miguel making his way quickly into his place, wanting to relax his mind and not think. Being around the other man was nice, he really enjoyed the man's company, but he felt this weird...chemestry between them and that made him uncomfortable. He shook the thoughts from his mind and headed to his kitchen. He needed a beer.


	3. Round 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After an almost 4 year hiatus, I am back. Much more to come.

By the time Saturday came around, Miguel was more than ready to start his new position at the gym. He knew this was the chance of a lifetime for him to not only stay on the straight and narrow, but to also make money doing something he loved. Hell, maybe he could even make a comeback in the game himself if he wanted to. He had trained all week, going through diffrent drills and excersises in his mind, really wanting to have his style clean for any potential clients. He saw how Cyril trained and he knew his style was a little different, which was perfect to Miguel, it would keep people coming back for different variations of the sport. 

He hadn't seen Ryan since that night after dinner, but the Irishman was still constantly on his mind. He didn't know what it was about him. Sure, he was nice and charming and just seemed like an all around good guy that Miguel could be great friends with, but there was something more. He couldn't quite pin his feelings and he had no one else he felt close enough to talk to about it. Maybe it would just pass, maybe he was thinking too hard about it. Yeah, that's what it was.

Miguel rounded the corner, seeing the gym in sight. He didn't have any clients lined up that he knew of, Cyril and Ryan had just told him to come in so they could show him the ropes, get him familiar with equipment and just doing some basic cleaning and clerical work. 

"Hey, Miguel. 10 minutes early, that's what I like to see," Cyril greeted him as he walked into the gym. "Ryan is never on time to anything, so it's nice to finally have someone here who knows a little something about punctuality."

Miguel let out a chuckle, already feeling more comfortable than he thought he would on his first day. "My mom taught me to always be early to places that matter, guess it's just a something that's always stuck with me." 

"Well, keep it up. That's the best kind of habit to have."

Cyril followed Miguel to the back office, showing him where to put his things and giving him a brief overview of where all the files of the clients were, where the release forms were, and how to log into the computer. The two walked back toward the ring just in time to see Ryan walking in carrying a cup holder with three cups of coffee.

"Bout time you got here," Cyril shouted toward the taller man. "At least you were late for a good reason this time."

Ryan just grinned, handing over a cup to his brother and offering one to Miguel. "Wasn't sure if you were a coffee person or not, so I just got you black coffee, we got cream and sugar in the back."

Miguel smiled at Ryan as he took the cup, feeling a faint shiver as his hand brushed against Ryan's as he was passing him the coffee. "Thanks man, this is perfect." He cringed a bit at his wording, thinking it made him sound a bit too eager, but judging by smile on Ryan's face, it didn't even matter. "So, uh, what's on the agenda today?"

"You're gonna shadow me with my first few clients so you can get to know them, check out their style, and if everything goes smoothly, I might have you take over for a bit of the session. Have you work with them on the speed bag and whatnot."

"Sounds good to me," Miguel was excited that he was gonna be jumping right into things. "I wasn't expecting to get right in there on the first day, but I'm pumped and ready to go."

"Well, that's just the first half of the shift," Ryan interjected. "I'm gonna have you come work with me around 1, get you used to the technical side of things. Are you familiar with any computer programs?"

Miguel shook his head no, looking down at his feet a bit. He hadn't ever had a legitimate job. He was used to getting his money by hustling and dealing drugs when he was still involved with El Norte. He was ready to make an honest living though, wanting to forget about his past.

Ryan had a feeling the younger man wasn't too familiar with clerical work, but that didn't deter him. "No worries, man. We've got all day to at least get you used to it and even I don't know what I'm doing half the time."

That seemed to relax the Latino a bit more and he let out a light laugh. He finished his cup of coffee and looked toward Cyril. "Should we get started then?"  
~~~~~

Ryan watched from his spot in the office as Miguel ran through the drills and exercises with their second client of the day. The younger man really knew what he was doing, definitely showing a passion for boxing. He was a great instructor, even with the basics of just showing some footwork or getting down on the ground and doing push ups and sit ups with the client rather than just bark out what to do and expect them to just know what to do. Having Miguel around was going to be just what their gym needed...it also helped that the young Latino was very easy on the eyes. Ryan couldn't help the attraction he felt for the other man, but he knew better than to act on it. At least not until he got a better read on Miguel. 

He was trying to focus on putting the client's information from paper into the system, but he wasn't having much luck with concentrating. He glanced up in time to see Miguel peeling his shirt over his head, his lightly sculpted back gleaming with sweat. His mouth dropped open a bit at the sight; his compact frame was lean and firm and there were a few tattoos that ran across his flesh. The man was an Adonis in his eyes, and that was just judging from his back. 

"Y'know, if you stare any harder, your eyes are gonna fall out of your head," Cyril chuckled, passing by the office on his way to grab some gear. "I think you might be barking up the wrong tree this time around, bro."

Ryan jerked his eyes away from Miguel, looking back down at his work with a fierce blush creeping into his cheeks. "It's not even like that Cyril..."

The younger man scoffed. "I know you better than you know yourself half the time, Ryan. I knew you were into him the moment he walked in the door," He closed the door behind him to give them some privacy. "Just...don't do anything to scare him off. The kid is amazing. We could really use his talent to make this place successful."

"You act like I'm gonna corner him and seduce him or something," Ryan said with an eyeroll. "I'm not stupid, Cyril. Sure, he man is hot but clearly straight as an arrow. I'll behave, I promise."

Cyril looked at him a bit longer before decidng that he trusted his word with this one. He headed back out, setting up the ring to get ready for his sparring session with the client. He watched Miguel a bit longer, seeing how he was really putting his all into his training. "That's enough for today man. You did great. Head back to the office and Ryan will take over from there."

Miguel nodded, feeling an adrenaline rush from the training and the fact that he felt he was actually impressing his bosses. He gathered up his shirt and water and headed back toward the office, where he noticed Ryan looking at him. He'd felt the eyes of the Irishman on him for almost his entire session and in a weird way, he felt like that made him work even harder. Sure, he wanted to impress Ryan and Cyril, but his subconscious was telling him he was doing it to impress him in a different way.

'What are you doing right now...?' He thought to himself. He wasn't a fucking maricon. But something about this green eyed motherfucker intrigued him. He had never felt nervous around any man before...or excited to see another man. He shook his head to try to rid himself of his thoughts and made his way into the office, closing the door behind him. He grabbed his bag, pulling a dry shirt from it and pulling it on before taking a seat next to Ryan.

"You looked really good out there, you know," Ryan said, keep his gaze on his paperwork. He hoped the younger man didn't take it the wrong way, didn't want to scare him off like Cyril thought he might. 

"Thanks. I guess I just love boxing so much, I kinda just throw my all into it. So, what next?"

Ryan cleared his throat, glad to be changing the subject and focusing on the work at hand. He turned the moniter toward Miguel a bit so he had a more clear view of the screen and began to explain to him the different programs and things he would be dealing with. Even though Miguel had zero knowledge of what was going on, he seemed to pick up on it quickly. He had noticed a small clover on Ryan's hand while he was typing and recognized it as an Irish gang tattoo. It oddly calmed him a bit, knowing that their backgrounds weren't so different after, felt like he was really around someone who could understand what he had been through and where he came from.

"How'd you learn all this stuff anyway?" He pointed toward the shamrock on his hand. "I mean, I'm guessing you were pretty involved with the streets too and I know I didn't pick up any of these skills when I was with El Norte." He let out a small chuckle to show the older man he didn't mean any harm by the question, was just geniunouly curious. Ryan thought about the question a bit before deciding it was okay to let his guard down a bit.

"I picked it up wherever I could. Taught myself a lot of what I know from ready books and shit. Cyril and I got caught up with too much bullshit in our gang and I knew this was our only shot to get out and make something of ourselves," he answered honestly, looking at the younger man. "It's probably the best thing I've ever done. And I think having you here will make this an even better thing for the three of us. With your talent, this gym will take off in no time."

Miguel felt himself blush a bit at the compliment, looking back at the screen to avoid eye contact with Ryan. Something about this man made him feel indescribable and he wasn't sure if he was okay with it or not yet. He cleared his throat, changing the subject. "So, now what?"  
~~~~

"I'm heading out, guys, I gotta meet with Sara for dinner. Miguel, you killed it today, man. Same time tomorrow," Cyril grabbed his gym bag and water and waved to the two men as he made his way out. Ryan looked at the clock, realizing how late it was getting and knowing there wasn't a whole lot of work for them to do for the rest of the night. "Let's close up and get out of here too. No one ever comes in the late and you've had a pretty long first day."

Miguel nodded, heading to the main part of the gym to double check that all of the equipment was put away and that the mats were all clean. Turned off all the lights and went back into the office to grab his bag just as Ryan was turning off the lights. Ryan turned and saw Miguel waiting for him in the doorway, presumebly so he could lock up everything behind him.

"Do you a lift home or anything?"

"No, no...I can walk. It ain't too far from here and I could use the time to think."

"Well...maybe I could walk with you?" Ryan had literally just spent the better part of the day with this man and just wasn't ready to part ways with him just yet. 

"Sure...I mean, if you want to."

The two grabbed their things and headed out into the night, starting the short walk toward Miguel's neighborhood. There wasn't a whole lot of talk though, both men caught up in their thoughts. Ryan had felt this weird connection from the Latino, a spark between the two of them. He was battling between listening to the words of his brother or just saying 'fuck it' and making a move on Miguel. He was feeling a little bold, starting to really muster up the courage to say something when they came to a halt outside of Miguel's apartment building.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Miguel murmured, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Same time?"

"Uh, yeah," Ryan said, shaking his mind of the thoughts that were running through it. "Same time tomorrow. Have a good night, Miguel."

Ryan reached out to shake his hand and when Miguel took it, Ryan pulled him into a hug, a habit he had with Cyril. He felt Miguel tense up a bit, so he let go of his embrace, feeling like maybe he had crossed the line a bit. He cleared his throat and turned to head back toward the gym to his car. 

Miguel let out a quiet 'goodnight', kicking himself for the reaction. He wasn't expecting a hug from the older man and the feel of the Irishman against him, even though briefly, sent a jolt of excitement through him. He hadn't really wanted the embrace to end so soon, but was glad it had...he wasn't sure who was watching and he didn't know what his next move might have been. He quickly headed into his apartment, needing a drink and to let this day and all these thoughts he was having slip from his mind for a bit.


End file.
